Quick Pan Francés
Pan Francés·(pan fran-ses)
Desayuno Típico: The Daily Anchor
If you grew up in a Salvadoran home, the scent of freshly baked Pan Francés is the scent of the morning. Forget the crusty, tooth-shattering baguettes of Europe; the true Salvadoran staple is pillowy soft inside with a whisper-thin, shattering crust meant for dragging through refried beans and thick crema. Traditionally, this is an all-day, arm-breaking affair left to the local panaderías. But you have a job, a life, and maybe ninety minutes. By leaning on instant yeast and your stand mixer, we capture the exact texture of grandma's kitchen without the thirty minutes of manual labor. The secret? A touch of vegetable shortening, and leaving the baked bread in a hot, turned-off oven for ten extra minutes to guarantee that perfect tostadito finish.
Ingredients
- warm water1 1/2 cup
- instant dry yeast1 tbsp
- white granulated sugar2 tbsp
- bread flour4 cup
- fine sea salt1 1/4 tsp
- vegetable shortening3 tbsp
Method
- 01
Whisk together the warm water, instant yeast, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Let it sit for 5 minutes until it looks slightly milky, then add the melted vegetable shortening.
- 02
Add the bread flour and place the salt directly on top so it doesn't touch the raw yeast.
Turn the mixer on medium-low and let it run for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough transforms into a smooth, slightly tacky ball that pulls cleanly away from the sides of the bowl.
- 03
Form the dough into a tight ball, transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, and cover tightly with a damp towel or plastic wrap.
To speed up the rise on a weeknight, place the bowl inside a turned-off oven next to a mug of boiling water, and let it double in size for 40 to 45 minutes.
- 04
Punch the dough down, divide it into 8 to 10 equal pieces, and roll each into a tight, smooth ball.
Gently flatten each ball into an oval and roll it up tightly like a small cigar, pinching the seams closed, then place on a parchment-lined baking sheet with plenty of space between them.
- 05
Dip your fingers in a little bit of soft vegetable shortening and lightly rub the top of each shaped roll.
This prevents a skin from forming and guarantees a gorgeous, shiny crust; cover lightly with a towel and let them rise for 20 minutes while you preheat your oven to 375°F.
- 06
Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the tops are a deep golden brown, then turn the oven off.
Leave the bread inside the hot, turned-off oven for exactly 10 more minutes to dry out the outer layer, giving you that perfect authentic tostadito shell while the inside remains pillowy and soft.
Notes
Do not substitute butter for the vegetable shortening.
Manteca (vegetable shortening) is the non-negotiable fat that coats the gluten strands and gives Salvadoran bread its signature soft crumb.
Bread flour is essential.
While you can use all-purpose flour in an absolute emergency, bread flour provides the authentic, stretchy, bakery-quality chew that won't fall apart when making sandwiches like Panes con Pollo.